Government rules out materials sorting as direct route to landfill

A consultation paper issued last week by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the National Assembly for Wales, explains how “sorting” – a key part of the new landfill legislation – should be interpreted.

The issue centres around the definition of the treatment of waste before landfilling with treatment under the EU legislation including “sorting”. There has been much discussion in waste management and recycling circles as to what extent sorting would count as treatment. In a low environmentally friendly scenario, it could have been deemed that by simply sorting out cans or paper from waste, the cans or paper were then fully permitted to be landfilled just because they had been sorted from the other waste.

The government acknowledges in its consultation document that the definition of “treatment” in the Directive makes it clear that sorting of waste is regarded by the EU as “treatment”.

However, the the DETR and Welsh Assembly take this a stage further and state: “This would be considered a physical process, and could enhance the recovery of certain wastes (if, for example, the waste were sorted so as to remove recyclable/recoverable elements).”

And, on a welcome cautionary note the consultation says that consideration would have to be given to the nature and outcome of such sorting for “if sorted materials were subsequently all sent to landfill, there would appear to have been no environmental benefit and the recovery of the waste would not have been enhanced.”

The consultation document covers many important areas with regard to landfill, from regulation through to closure of landfill sites. And, it implies that the government considers the cost of closing and maintaining sites after closure should be covered by the fees for landfilling in the first place.

The full version of the consultation paper can be seen at: http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/conindex.htm To email views on the consultation contact: landfilldirective_consultation@detr.gsi.gov.uk

Comments should be sent by email or by post by January 12 2001 to the:
Landfill Team, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions,
Zone 7/F9, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.

In Wales a copy should also be sent to: David Holbrook
Land Quality and Radioactive Substances Branch,
Environment Division, National Assembly for Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ,
rr e-mail: david.holbrook@wales.gsi.gov.uk , fax: 02920 823658.